Profile in Courage: Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D)

In today’s politically polarized age, it seems that the letter next to an elected official’s name says it all. If a member of their own political tribe does something wrong (often involving large sums of taxpayer dollars), the official will reflexively rally to their defense and accuse the other party of even greater offenses. Fortunately, some public servants have risen above endless whataboutism and partisan bickering. Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) has stayed above the fray as he attempts to shield his constituents from overzealous federal tax agents and nonsensical state restrictions. And, for leading based on conviction rather than partisan friction, Governor Polis is most certainly a Profile in Courage.

From an early age, Polis dreamt big and strove to change the world. He was admitted to Princeton University at just 16, and his older colleagues marveled at his smarts and dedication. According to classmate Derek Kilmer, “The average class load was four classes, and Jared was the guy who was taking seven or eight classes in a semester. He was just super smart and really hard working.” After graduating from Princeton, he went on a company-founding binge and amassed a small fortune. He co-founded American Information Systems (his first successful internet company) at just 22 and promptly sold it to a California company for a cool $23 million. That same year (1998), Polis founded a floral e-commerce company called ProFlowers, which would eventually become part of a larger, multi-billion-dollar juggernaut called Florists’ Transworld Delivery.

Polis clearly had the Midas Touch and could have continued building his fortune. But, he had set his sights early on a political career and wasn’t one to pass up a campaign. After campaigning for several Colorado ballot measures, Polis put his hat in the ring for Colorado’s 2nd congressional district and won the seat in 2008 with an impressive 63 percent of the vote. In his ten years in the House, Polis found comradery in the House Liberty Caucus, which championed a limited government approach to public policy issues. While Polis was a Democrat and generally campaigned with appeals to liberal values, he was also concerned about the burgeoning federal debt, rising tax burden, and endless thicket of red tape coming from Washington, D.C. But, it can be difficult to get things done when most lawmakers care more about posturing and engineering shutdowns than governing responsibly.

By 2018, Polis was convinced that his talents were best suited toward more local governance. He entered an uphill race to become governor of Colorado, and used extensive grassroots campaigning to convince voters he was the right choice. His message of freedom and limited government apparently resonated, and he defeated Republican Walker Stapleton by more than ten percentage points. And, true to his word, Polis has done his best to shrink government in his four years as governor. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) praised Governor Polis for embracing sensible reopening policies and getting his state moving again.

More recently, Governor Polis took on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pushing back against brazen anti-taxpayer policies. Under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), the Colorado state government is limited in how much it can take from its residents and must refund amounts taken in excess. That’s all well and good, until the IRS decides it wants a piece of the pie. In August, the IRS said it was reevaluating the tax-free status of these refunds and might claim a share of TABOR checks. Polis rightly responded, “It doesn’t make sense. We’re going to fight it. We’re working with Sen. (Michael) Bennet and others to try and provide comment during this period to say, wait a minute: If it’s a stimulus, that’s one thing. That’s not what this is. This is a constitutional TABOR refund. Should not be taxed.”  Now that Governor Polis and his federal allies are mobilized against TABOR taxes, it’s less likely that IRS agents will come after Coloradans’ hard-earned cash. The fight isn’t over yet, but TPA (and presumably the Polis administration) will be closely monitoring any future IRS rulings.

Governor Polis deserves recognition and respect for bucking partisanship and focusing on doing the right thing for his constituents. And, for providing a masterclass on leadership and responsibility, Governor Polis is a Profile in Courage.